


Rumor has it

by Palatinedreams



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Birthday, Established Relationship, Fluff, Flying, M/M, Romance, Surprises, mentioning of sex between two males
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:33:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26874496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Palatinedreams/pseuds/Palatinedreams
Summary: John is in a bad mood and pissed off when Todd takes him to another world, but his mood changes quickly when he sees what's waiting there for him...
Relationships: John Sheppard/Todd the Wraith
Comments: 10
Kudos: 36





	Rumor has it

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Eos_x](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eos_x/gifts).



> _Rumor has it_ that it's your birthday today!  
> I wish you all the best, health, happiness and that all your wishes will come true!
> 
> The title of this story is inspired by the song _**Rumor Has It**_ from _**Adele**_

“Where are we going, Todd? I really don't have time for this!” Sheppard complains as he follows the Wraith through the Stargate to a world only Todd seems to know the address of it.

John had just sat down to _finally_ see to the reports that are piling up on his desk for literally ages, when Todd came striding into his office to tell him that he's needed elsewhere – and before John had the tiniest chance to object, he found himself walking beside the ancient Commander and stepping through the event horizon without any clue what's actually going on.

It's not that he doesn't trust Todd, because he really does, but the Wraith has this annoying habit of keeping valid information to himself and leave everyone in darkness about his schemes – not only Woolsey and the other New Lanteans, but also still John himself – who's been Todd's mate for almost a year now and would really deserve to know all the details, right?

Besides, he _really_ needs to write these reports, and today is also a day he'd rather forget and get it over with as quickly and unnoticed as possible – the reason for his awfully bad mood today.

“Rumor has it that you actually don't have anything better to do than come with me. I've got Richard's okay, and he assured me that you're not needed in Atlantis today.” the damn Wraith lets him know with a shrug of his broad shoulders, unimpressed by John's scowl and pout.

“Richard, huh? So the two of you are on first-name terms already?” he inquires, and the weird feeling in his stomach can't be jealousy, can it? Why is it that Mr. Woolsey is Richard for Todd – whereas he's still mostly 'Sheppard' to him, and this even when they're occupied with other, hmm... more intimate things?

“Opposite to you, Sheppard, Richard is far more polite and cooperative than you prove yourself to be on most occasions. He assured me that you don't have any specific and pressing duties to see to today, and that your reports can wait for another day – as they're overdue for weeks at this point and one more day of delay won't really matter any longer anyway.”

“Hrrrmpff,” is all Sheppard's mind comes up with to that simple truth, and he keeps grumbling to himself for a while longer as he trudges along the small path behind the Wraith. Todd ignores his bad mood, though, like he has the irritating habit to ignore most things he finds to be too inconvenient and unhelpful for his usual plots and schemes.

“So what is it that you want to show me, and which couldn't wait for one more day?” John asks one more time when his pouting is ignored, and Todd throws a meaningful and somewhat appraising glance at him over his shoulder.

“Why is it that humans are always so impatient? It must have something to do with your mortality,” he muses aloud, and John grits his teeth and glares angrily at him because he really doesn't want to be reminded of his mortality today of all days, really not. Today is... no, John really doesn't want to think about today, not at all, and he hurries to school his features back into a mask of annoyed curiosity, because Todd doesn't know about today, and John is not about to tell him why he's always in such a bad mood on one special day each year, no way. Rodney would laugh and tell him that he's having a midlife crisis – if he were to know about the special day today is for John – but luckily their blue-eyed genius doesn't have any bloody clue about today's special meaning, so there's thankfully no laughing and teasing and talks about midlife crisis at all.

They both fall into another silence as they keep walking, and John resigns himself to the fact that he won't learn about Todd's newest plot before the Wraith deems him ready to know about it. They walk for a few more minutes before they reach a large clearing surrounded by tall trees and thick bushes and Todd slows down and then stops. John is still a few meters away and looks curiously around, still asking himself what the hell they are doing here on this beautiful but deserted world.

The trees and the bushes are not what's catching John's attention right away, though, it's the thing taking up most of the free space right in the middle of the thick forests that's trapping his gaze, lying there in the soft green grass of the round meadow like a huge stranded whale.

It looks like a Wraith Dart, but it's considerably bigger and somewhat different from what John knows about these admittedly pretty amazing vessels.

“Uhu, what's that?” he exclaims, coming to an abrupt halt, even though everything inside him is screaming to come closer to the big Dart and examine it.

“What does it look like to you, Sheppard?” Todd leans against the side of the Dart and folds his arms across his broad black-clad chest.

“Uhm, like a Dart. But like a big one. Does it really have two seats?!” John forgets about his bad mood and that today is a day he'd really rather want to forget, and he steps closer to touch the organic hull with rapturous fingers and let admiring eyes travel over the shimmering material.

“It _is_ a Dart, and yes it has _two_ seats. It's a prototype I have been working on for some time. As we're allies now, it doesn't seem appropriate to transport you inside a buffer any longer.” Todd's voice is a mixture of smugness and tenderness, and his look is fond when he gazes down at John.

“Rumor has it that you're the best pilot in two galaxies, Sheppard, so you'll get the honor of being the first one flying this special Dart – except for me, of course. I was the one flying it here to make sure that everything is working perfectly fine.”

“That's... uhm, thank you, Todd!” John murmurs, thinking that today could perhaps turn out to be a much better day than he'd first feared, and he gifts his mate with the first honest and real smile he manages to show today.

“You're welcome, Sheppard. I think I would deserve a reward for my surprise, wouldn't I?” the Wraith asks him, a cunning look in his glittering golden eyes, and John shakes his head and rolls his eyes with a snort, but he is all too happy to obey and steps closer to kiss the far too smug Wraith and shut him up effectively for the next few minutes.

They are both out of breath when they part again, and John is really aching to fly the Dart with Todd sitting behind him in the second seat.

“May I now?” he wants to know, his voice eager like the voice of a child under the Christmas tree, and Todd makes an inviting gesture and opens the hatch for him with a mental command. John climbs into the cockpit and takes the pilot's seat, and Todd takes the other one behind him, his warm breath ghosting over John's neck when he leans in to explain the console in front of John and the way it functions.

“I happened to gather some technology from the Ancients over the course of time,” he starts, and John snorts.

“Yeah, sure you _'happened'_ to stumble over it completely by accident..., didn't you?” he drawls, and Todd's chuckle tickles his neck.

“Totally by accident, of course, Sheppard,” he confirms perfectly innocently, and John decides that he's too eager to fly the Dart to chide him for that.

“You'll find my accidental stumbling to be very useful, Sheppard – as the Ancient technology combined with our own Wraith technology allows you to fly the Dart with your mental commands if you wish to do that. You can also operate it manually, but I thought that you'd appreciate it to have both options left for you to use.”

John swallows, feeling deeply touched that Todd would do that for him. He's still a bit suspicious though, because they have been trying to combine Ancient and Wraith technology for a long time and never really succeeded, but he chooses to ignore that for today, and not ask Todd how he actually managed to achieve this without any of his human allies knowing about his research and successful achievment.

“Thank you, Todd, that's considerate of you, I really appreciate that,” he murmurs, and is rewarded with a brief kiss on his cheek. Wraith are normally not the physically touchy kind of guys, probably due to their Hivemind-thing that is connecting them and giving them the closeness they crave, but John has learned that Wraith are not so different from humans when they are in love with someone and that they're seeking body contact and physical closeness and touches just like anyone else does then, and it's actually nice to be kissed and touched like that and not having to fear that Todd will slam his feeding hand into his chest the very next second any longer.

The next minutes go by with more explanations, and then John feels ready to try and actually fly this amazing piece of technology. They take off smoothly, and John can't keep his shout of triumph inside when they're racing through the air and spiraling high into the blue sky to fly over the beautiful world with its vast blue oceans, green forests and white-tipped gray mountains. John has always loved flying those arrow-like Darts, even before he and Todd became unwilling allies years ago, and this Dart, Wraith and Ancient technology combined in one perfect airplane and spaceship, is even better than his beloved Jumpers are.

John flies circles and loops and races over the green canopies of the forests and the blue waves of the sea, and before he even knows it he's already rounded the planet five times and is filled to the brink with adrenaline. Todd seems to share his joy and happiness if the low growls and purrs in John's ears are any indication to go by with, and he gives John the coordinates to land on a plateau in the mountains where they have a wonderful view over the ocean and the jungle-like forest beneath them when they have rounded the planet for a sixth time.

There is another green meadow, and a waterfall with a pond nearby, it's warm, and the sun is shining, and John feels utterly happy when he climbs out of the Dart and looks around. Todd steps behind him and wraps his arms around his waist from behind, gently turning John around to kiss him and open the zipper of his uniform jacket.

“Rumor has it that we'll be undisturbed here,” the Wraith purrs into his ear, and John moans into their deep kiss and opens the fastenings of Todd's coat with deft fingers and months-long practice.

They use Todd's coat as a blanket, and John is not surprised that his mate was foresighted enough to bring some oil with him for what they both crave so badly. John is more than ready and crazy with need and love for his amazing Wraith when the ancient Commander finally covers him with his body to take him, and he wraps his arms tightly around him and kisses him with all the desire and love he feels for his Wraith but can never really express with words.

The sun is making its journey over the sky while John and Todd are caught in their passion and desire, and later when Todd releases a basket with food from the buffer of the Dart, he's lying on the coat still naked and watches his mate move around with adoring glances. John is happy and sated from their ardent lovemaking, feeling a bit drowsy, and his eyes grow big when the Wraith pulls a cake out of the basket and puts it down onto the coat in the middle between them.

A cake with candles on top of it.

There is champagne, too, and the Wraith grins at him when he sees the incredulous look on John's face.

“Rumor has it that it's your birthday today, Sheppard,” he says as he opens the bottle and pours the golden liquid into the glasses.

“But how... no one knows, how did you... Woolsey!!!!” John sputters, and Todd throws his head back and laughs out loud.

“Richard was indeed very helpful and agreed with me that ignoring your birthday and writing reports on your special day wasn't going to happen. But don't worry, no one else knows, and your secret is safe with me,” he admits, handing John one of the glasses. John is too stunned to protest and takes it, and when Todd clicks their glasses together and kisses him, he is actually happy that Woolsey conspired with his mate.

“Here's to you, John, I wish you a very happy birthday. The Dart is my birthday gift for you.”

John's throat is too tight to speak, and the wetness in his eyes must come from the blinding sunlight, not from his emotion, of course. Instead of thanking his beloved Wraith with words, he just pulls him in for another deep and passionate kiss. Todd kisses him back happily, and after drinking from the champagne, he lights up the candles on the cake.

“You have one wish free, Sheppard,” he says, looking expectantly, and John grins and blows the candles out.

“Rumor has it that this is the best birthday ever, so I'm perfectly happy. Thank you, Todd, for everything. I'm for sure the luckiest man in two galaxies with you as my mate!” John says with a smile, and kisses him again.


End file.
